Breaking Perfection: Embracing “Done is better than perfect”
“Focus on progress, not perfection.” We’ve all heard this phrase. So, but why do we agree but secretly not agree to this? Perhaps because society conditions us to go after the shiny gold star, promotion, and life goal without much thought to process. Burnout? So what. Stress? Side-effect of success. So, how can we break perfection by embracing messy, imperfect action? (14.5.25.)
Waiting for perfection is like waiting for a bus that’s not coming
In Playing Big, Tara Mohr puts it simply:
“We wait for confidence before we really step out. But confidence doesn’t come first. Doing comes first.”
If you’re a perfectionist or have anxiety, then doing things before you’re ready is very scary.
Your brain tells you, you need protect yourself: “What if something goes wrong?” or “What if you fail?” or “What if you look stupid?” And yet, if you do nothing you automatically fail so perhaps starting messy and badly is not a failure after all?
The truth is, almost everyone feels not ready—except maybe the oddly overconfident. The key is to just start, even in a small, silly, imperfect way. Think of a baby drawing a squiggle, drooling and smiling. They’re in it for the joy of creating, not aiming for a perfect masterpiece.
The unsexy truth: It takes time to get good at anything
This is because we’d stop obsessing over winning and being number one, and instead see little incremental shifts as wins. Just as learning a song on the piano takes practice and time, so does learning anything new.
Diving into the “I’m so bad at this but it’s still fun,” is a great attitude and allows us to see that mistakes aren’t threats to our ego. Looking silly and bad at something is all part of the process.
A perfectionist is impatient and unhappy: Choose happiness
Perfection and unrealistic high standards ensure we chase quick wins, find shortcuts and fantasise about big dreams (rather than do the messy work to make it happen).
True progress comes with staying consistent and patient when it’s difficult. Finding beauty in the process allows for results to naturally happen over time, rather than pressuring oneself to perform and be 100% perfect. Also, you’ll notice, someone who accepts flaws is generally more relaxed and fails forward (instead of staying stuck).
Wanting results quickly, rather than putting in the work
When we tie our self-worth to results, it creates stress and pressure. But when we shift our focus to the process (not taking things personally), our life becomes clearer and more predictable. Understanding why something works (or doesn’t) matters just as much as the result. It’s like expecting a perfect cake without reading the recipe or starting to bake.
Baking, like any goal, is about enjoying each step: folding the flour, greasing the tray, setting the oven. When we pay attention to the process, we improve incrementally, enjoy it more, and feel the genuine satisfaction that we’re becoming better with each delectable cake we bake.
#ProcessOverPerfection #AnxiousMind #ChallengeAnxiety #BreakPerfection #GreyThinking #ChallengeBlackAndWhiteThinking #StopWaitingStartDoing #FailForward #StartSmall #SmallSteps #TinyWins #IncrementalImprovement